Heart Research UK NET award goes to QE Birmingham team

Dr Sern Lim and his team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham have been granted the Novel and Emerging Technologies (NET) award to evaluate the efficiency of wave intensity analysis (WIA), a technique that measures the pressure and flow characteristics of the waves that pump blood into the blood vessels that are generated when the heart beats, and then to assess the effect of changing LVAD pump speed on the right side of the heart. LVADs (left ventricular assist devices) can support a failing heart and improve survival and quality of life in patients with advanced heart failure, but high pump speeds can impair right heart function, and low pump speeds can be too low to support the left side of the heart. The researchers at the QE in Birmingham will assess whether WIA can be used to identify the best LVAD pump speed for each patient.
CEO of Heart Research UK, Kate Bratt-Farrar, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Prof Lim’s research, which has the potential to have a big impact on the lives of those living with heart failure. Our NET grants are all about backing new and innovative developments in medical technology that can quickly and efficiently translate into real patient benefits. The dedication we see from UK researchers is both encouraging and impressive and we at Heart Research UK are proud to be part of it.”
Dr Lim said: “This is an exciting project that we hope will help us assess the function of the right side of the heart and which has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with LVADs. Using WIA to assess patient’s hearts may help us to decide who will benefit from an LVAD, and also allow us to adjust the pump speed to suit each patient to ensure that they are getting the best results. Heart Research UK have a long history of backing new and potentially ground-breaking research, so we are very grateful to them for supporting this project.”